BARKLEY, INC.

About BARKLEY, INC.

Barkley (formerly known as Barkley Evergreen & Partners) is an employee-owned agency that integrates advertising and marketing services across such disciplines as public relations, relationship marketing, event marketing, and interactive services. It has provided marketing communication services for such clients as Weight Watchers, Sonic, CITGO, NASCAR, and the Kansas Lottery. The agency serves national clientele through full-service offices in Kansas City, Missouri, and Pittsburgh, with field offices located across the country. Units within Barkley include Barkley Blacktop and BarkleyREI.

Barkley has made a habit out of purchasing smaller ad agencies and marketing firms in order to fortify its core offerings. In 2010 Barkley bought two Missouri-based competitors in Blacktop Creative and Adamson. Creative agency Blacktop was integrated into Barkley's existing design group and was rebranded as Barkley Blacktop. Adamson was a St. Louis-based agency that had 2009 billings of about $30 million.

Barkley expanded its East Coast client base in 2008 when it acquired Pennsylvania-based interactive agency Ripple Effects Interactive (re-branded as BarkleyREI). As a segment of Barkley, BarkleyREI continues to run on its own, adding expertise in a couple of niche advertising areas to Barkley's portfolio. The new unit specializes in conducting advertising and marketing services for the nonprofit, higher education, and travel and tourism sectors.

In May 2009 Brian Booker stepped down as CEO and chief creative officer but is remaining with the company as its chief idea officer to bolster Barkley's creative services during a time when the advertising landscape is highly competitive due to the economic recession. Booker was replaced by President Jeff King, who started at the firm in 1991 as an account manager, left to work for GSD&M and Fletcher Martin, then returned to Barkley in 2000.